BSTI gives green signal over seasonal fruits

Health Desk—May 29, 2017: Seasonal juicy fruits have flooded the markets in the capital bringing relief to consumers. People are unconfident over the fruits whether those are formalin-free.

Bangladesh Food Safety Authority and Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) recently submitted their reports after carrying out investigations on 28 products and 193 sample fruits respectively declaring that there is no presence of formalin in fruits.

The assurance over safe fruits boosted the confidence of consumers contributing to a substantial rise in fruit sale in the city.

Also, various types of dates added taste to the seasonal fruit basket as the month of Ramadan began with due solemnity.

Mohammad Mahfuzul Haque, chairman of Bangladesh Food Safety Authority, in this connection said, “There's nothing to panic. We've tested 28 products, including fruits. We didn't get formalin, which is harmful”.

According to BSTI sources, some 33 oranges, 40 maltas, 68 apples, 38 grapes, three watermelons, two mangoes, one banana and five dates, among others, have been tested at the BSTI to know whether there is any existence of formalin in fruits.

Earlier in the last month, Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed said, ‘Bangladesh's food markets are now fully free of formalin’.

In recent years, the government launched several crackdowns in kitchen markets and super shops to stop use of formalin in fruits, vegetables and fish.